Yarn processing apparatus



April 4, 1961 c EVANS 2,977,663

YARN PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 2, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 02 K J84 CYRIL G. EVANS BY ATTORNEY April 4, 1961 EVANS 2,977,663

YARN PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 2, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill INVENTOR.

CYRIL G EVANS ATTOR EY April 4, 1961 EVANS 2,977,663

YARN PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 2, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

CYRIL G. EVANS ATTORNEY April 4, 1961 c. G. EVANS YARN PROCESSING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 2, 1958 I 3 8 INVENTOR.

C YR IL G E VA N S 6 AT TO R N E Y April 4, 1961 c. G. EVANS 2,977,663

YARN PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 2, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l 130 I29 |42 g INVENTOR.

CYRIL G. EVANS FIG. -8"

United States Patent YARN PROCESSING APPARATUS Cyril G. Evans, Clemson, S.C., assignor to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, Pendleton, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 758,440

16 Claims. (CI. 28-62) This invention relates to improved apparatus for processing textile yarns and more particularly the invention relates to apparatus embodying improved electrical yarn heating means for heating a segment of a running length of yarn.

There are numerous instances in the textile industry where it is necessary to heat a segment of a running length of yarn. For example, in the manufacture of welt yarns for hosiery it is frequently advantageous to overfeed an end of yarn to a heating zone to remove the residual shrinkage, and in the elasticizing of thermoplastic yarns by various procedures it is generally necessary to heat a segment of a running length of yarn to either set the yarn in a highly twisted condition or to place the yarn in a proper condition for elasticizing. Other instances where it is desirable to heat a running length of yarn include various heat-stretching or heat-setting operations performed upon yarns for the manufacture of tire cords or the like, and post-treating operations to impart a high degree of bulk to elasticized yarns.

Various types of yarn heaters have previously been employed for heating a running length of yarnin operations of the above type, but in most instances an electrical heater providing a smooth metallic yarn engaging surface is used. The yarn engaging surface of such heaters can vary materially in shape, size, etc., but with substantially all types of heaters it has generally been necessary to employ a thermostat for temperature regulation since even with controlled power input to the heater, appreciable fiuctuations in temperature are experienced and such fluctuations result in uneven processing of the yarn and non-uniformity in the finished product.

A system including one or several thermostats mounted to sense the temperature of the yarn engaging surface of a heater coupled with means to regulate the supply of energy to the heater is quite capable of providing satisfactory temperature control, but the use of thermostats nevertheless has several disadvantages. A first such disadvantage is that thermostats are expensive and sulficiently complicated to frequently provide operating difficulties, and a second disadvantage is that the thermostats must generally be located within the yarn heater where they are not readily accessible for adjustment purposes. In fact, with a rotary yarn heater containing one or several thermostats it is generally necessary that the heater be completely stopped for each small adjustment of the thermostats.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide yarn heating means embodying a temeprature regulating arrangement which is relatively simple and inexpensive and which overcomes the disadvantages of a thermostatically controlled yarn heater.

It is another object of the invention to provide a yarn heating means of the rotary type wherein the operative temperature can readily be adjusted with the apparatus in operation and wherein the temperature otthe roll heater does not fluctuate appreciably.

It has been found that the fluctuations in -yarn heater temperature which normally occur in the absence of thermostatic controls are almost entirely due to fluctuations in the amount of heat energy removed from the heater by the yarn in contact therewith, and with a rotary type heater, fluctuations in heat loss resulting from variations in the rate of movement of the heater surface. It has further been found that if one provides means to compensate for these variations, a comparatively uniform heater temperature can be maintained without the use of thermostats, and according to this invention there is provided means to automatically decrease the electrical energy supplied to the yarn heater when movement of the yarn and, in the case of a rotating heater, movement of the heater surface is terminated and to automatically increase the electrical energy supplied when the yarn is again placed in motion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the means to automatically decrease and increase the supply of electrical energy comprises an electrical circuit for supplying energy to the heater which includes a first component embodying a switch and a second component connected in parallel to the first component and having, when the switch is closed, a higher electrical impedance than said first component, the term impedance being employed in this specification and claims in a broad sense to include actual resistance in both AC. and DC. circuit and apparent resistance in AC. circuits. There is also provided means to automatically open the switch when the movement of the yarn and/or of the yarn heater surface is temporarily disrupted and to automatically close the switch when movement of the yarn and/or yarn heater surface is again commenced. if desired the apparatus can also include a variable impedance connected in series to the above-described components of the electrical circuit to provide a master control for the energy supply to the yarn heater so that the mean operating temperature of the heater can readily be adjusted at a point remote from the heater.

In addition to overcoming the disadvantages of thermostatically controlled yarn heaters this invention also has the advantage that the means to automatically effect operation of the switch in the preferred embodiment described above, can be employed to operate a second switch to disrupt the flow of electric current through a solenoid so that such can be employed to control the operation of the apparatus without the necessity of a flow or" current through the solenoid for long periods of time. Most solenoids, and particularly those of the inexpensive variety, are built to withstand a flow of electric current for only limited periods of time and an arrangement which limits the maximum period of current flow through the solenoid is distinctly advantageous and permits the use of a less expensive solenoid.

One specific embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate apparatus for edge elasticizing, thermally contracting, or heat-setting a thermoplastic yarn or for performing other heat-treating operations of this type individually or in various combinations and in which:

Figure 1 is a partially schematic view in perspective showing principal parts of the apparatus in location.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the heat-treating component of the apparatus as it would appear looking from the right in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the heat-treating component of the apparatus as viewed from the left in Figure l of the drawings.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the heater roll assembly taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

r a 3 Figure 6 is a schematic view in perspective of the electrical components of the apparatus.

Figure 7 is a circuit diagram showing the flow path of electrical energy through the, electrical components of the apparatus.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the stop motion means of the apparatus. With specific reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a plurality of yarn supply means 10 from which ends of yarn 12 and 14 are withdrawn in an over-end manner. The yarn ends 12 and 14 are passed through appropriate guide means to a plurality of tension regulators 16 and thereafter to the heat-treating component of the apparatus generally indicated by the reference numeral 18. The yarn ends are then passed to an electrical stop motion means 19. through appropriate guide meansand are thereafter collected by any suitable take-up means 26 here illustrated as comprising a conventional ring and traveler array.

The apparatus also includes driving means (not illustrated) forthe take-up means 20 and means to engage and disengage the driving means so that operation of the take-up means can temporarily be discontinued in case of a yarn break or to replace the yarn package when a full package has been collected. These two components of the apparatus can suitably be of conventional design and construction. however, and for this reason will not be described in detail. 7

With reference to Figures 2 to of the drawings there is illustrated a support housing 22 through which is jour- 'naled a shaft 24 carrying a stepped roll 25 of a first yarn advancing means generally indicated by the reference numeral 26. This yarn advancing means also comprises a second stepped roll 28 journaled for rotation about an axis which is at a small angle to the axis of shaft 24 so that when yarn ends 12 and 14 are wrapped a plurality of turns about the rolls, adjacent turns of the yarn remain spatially separated from each other.

The yarn advancing means 26 serves to withdraw the ends of yarn 12 and 14 from the supply means and to advance the same to a heater -roll 30 carried by a v shaft 32 journaled through support housing 22. Heater roll 30 is provided with two yarn engaging, grooved annular members .34 and 36 (see Figure 5) which are carried by an L shaped heat-distributing member 38 having an electrical heater 40 secured to one side face thereof. Heater 40 is preferably of the type having a rapidly increasing resistance with increasing temperature since such 'a heater is, at least to some extent, self-regulating, and is connected to a suitable source of electrical energy through slip rings 42 and 44 and brushes 46 and 48.

Assuming that the apparatus is to be employed for performing a combined edge elasticizing and thermal post-treating operation, the yarn ends 12 and 14 are withdrawn from the heater roll 36 about the sharp edge of a blade member 50 secured in position by a blade holding means 52, and is thereafter passed in a partial wrap about an unheated roll member 54 carried by a shaft 55. The yarn ends 12 and 14 are thereafter passed through a spiral guide 56 and returned to yarn advancing means 26. Since the rolls of yarn advancing means 26 are in each instance stepped rolls, this device is the equivalent of two yarn advancing means and is capable of advancing the yarn on two different occasions at two different linear rates. The rolls 25 and 28 can be made such that the difference in diameters of the two portions thereof provides any selected degree of overfeed or stretch as the yarn is passed from the first portion of the yarn advancing means, about yarn'heater roll 30 and cold roll 54, and thereafter led to the second portion of the yarn advancing means.

From the second portion of yarn advancing means 26 the yarn ends12 and 14 are guided about the an nular member 36 of yarn heater roll 30 with each of the yarn ends in a separate groove, and are thereafter 54 through a small gear on shaft 55.

withdrawn about a guide pin 58 to a yarn advancing means generally indicated by the reference numeral 641. Yarn advancing means 60 is generally similar to yarn advancing means 26 and comprises a first roll 62 carried by a shaft 64 journaled through the wall of housing 22 and a second roll 66 rotatable about an axis extending at an angle to the axis of shaft 64 to result in proper separation of adjacent turns of yarn on the advancing means. From the yarn advancing means 69 the yarn ends 12 and 14 are passed through the stop-motion device 19 and to the take-up means 26 in the manner pre viously mentioned.

Iournaled through the bottom portion of support housing 22 is a. drive shaft 63 which serves to drive yarn advancing means 26 and 60, cold roll 54, and the heater roll 30. A drive gear 70 is secured to shaft 68 and meshes with a gear 72 journaled about a support sleeve 74 threaded into the wall of support housing 22. (See Figures 3 and 4.) The gear '72 carries on one side face thereof a clutch member 76 which is one member of a clutch generally indicated by the reference numeral 78 and which cooperates with a second clutch member 80 attached on one side face of amultipie gear 82 journaled about one end of a stub shaft 84 threaded through the sleeve member 74. The multiple gear 32, has a first gear element 86 which drives heater roll 3i through a small gear 88 secured to shaft 32 and drives cold roll Yarn advancing means 26 is driven from multiple gear 32 by means of a second gear element 92 and a small gear 94 secured to shaft 24, and yarn advancing means 60 is driven by means of a third gear element 95 of multiple gear 82 and a small gear 96 secured to shaft 64.

Secured to the protruding end of stub shaft 84 is a small pinion 98 which meshes with a gear rack on one end of a control rod 160 normally employed for placing the apparatus in operation. As control rod 169 is moved longitudinally, shaft 84 is rotated and moves axially by virtue of being in threadwise engagement with sleeve '74 and axial movement of the stub shaft 84 results in engagementv of clutch 78. Control rod 1.06 is not normally employed to effect disengagement of clutch 7S and stopping of the apparatus because this is accomplished automatically in a manner to be subsequently described. Secured to the end face of pinion 98 is a disk cam 102 and secured to this disk cam is a small bushing 164 and thimble 105 about which is. looped one end of a flexible cable 106. Flexible cable 106 extends through an opening in housing 22 and about a guide pulley 168 to the disengaging means which acts to stop operation of the twister array 20 and insures that clutch members 76 and 80 are separated by rotation of stub shaft 84 when operation of the twister array is terminated. A dog 110 is pivotally secured to support housing 22 and, in normal operation, engages a cam surface 111 on cam 102 to prevent rotation of the cam and disengagement of the clutch 78. The upper end of dog 11t is connected through a link 112 to the core of a solenoid 114 and by electrically connecting solenoid 114 to stop-motion means 19 and spring biasing cable 106, automatic stopping of both the heat processing component of the apparatus and the take-up component of the apparatus is effected upon yarn breakage.

The apparatus as thus far described is generally similar to that of US. application S.N. 740,637, filed June 9, 1958, in the names of Norman E. Klein and Cyril G. Evans, and reference may be had to this co-pending application for further details of construction and operation.

With particular reference to Figures 6 and 7, numerals 116 and 118 indicate two micro-switches disposed adjacent the periphery of disk cam 102 such that both are normally closed but are opened by contact with cam surface 111 upon rotation of earn 102 and disengagement of clutch 78, Micro-switch 116 is a componentpart of aev'nses an electrical circuit, including conductors 120 and 122 connected to asuitable source of electrical power, for supplying energy to heater 4t and is connected in parallel with a first variable resistance 124 and in series with a second variable resistance 126 and yarn heater 40. Since micro-switch 116 is normally closed, it provides only a negligible resistance to the flow of an electric current so that the amount of energy supplied to yarn heater 40 during normal operation of the apparatus is, with a selected e.m.f. across conductors 120 and 122, determined primarily only by the setting of variable resistance 126, but upon disengagement of clutch 78, rotation of disk cam 102 and opening of micro-switch 116, electrical energy supplied to heater 40 must pass in series through both resistance 124 and resistance 126. By adjusting resistance 126 with micro-switch 116 closed and with the apparatus in operation to provide an amount of electrical energy to heater 40 sufficient to retain the heater roll 30 at a desired operating temperature and by thereafter adjusting electrical resistance 124 with micro-switch 116 open and with the apparatus stopped so that the amount of electrical energy supplied to the heater is reduced exactly sufiiciently to offset the lower heat loss from the heater roll 30 with the apparatus stopped, the yarn heater roll remains at a substantially constant temperature even with starting and stopping of the apparatus. It has been surprisingly found that as long as the number and type of yarn ends passing in contact with the heater roll remain constant and the rate of operation of the apparatus remains constant except for starting and stopping, variations in heater roll temperature caused by other factors, such as minor variations in ambient temperature and small fluctuations in power supply voltage which normally occur when employing commercially available voltage regulators, are not significant and that a reasonably constant heater roll temperature can readily be maintained without the use of a thermostat.

lt iicro-switch 113 is a component part of a circuit for supplying energy to solenoid 114 and is connected in series relationship with the solenoid 114 and stop-motion means 19 to a suitable source of electrical power supplied through conductors 120 and 122. As will subsequently be explained, the stop-motion means 19 comprises a switch which is normally open so that there is no flow of electric current through solenoid 114 even though microsWitch 118 is closed. If, however, the stop-motion means is operated due to yarn breakage, this closes the electric circuit through solenoid 114 so that dog 110 is removed from operative position and shaft 84 carrying cam 1G2. rotates to disengage clutch 78. As the cam 102 rotates, micro-switch 118 is opened to terminate the flow of electric current through solenoid 114. It will be seen, therefore, that there is no flow of electric current through solenoid 114 except for short periods during which clutch 78 is being disengaged, so that there is no need for the solenoid to be so constructed that it is capable of withstanding current flow for prolonged periods.

The electrical stop-motion means of this invention can be conventional, but as illustrated comprises an improved device for use as a compoennt of the illustrated apparatus. With particular reference to Figure -8 of the drawings, there is illustrated a support bracket 128 carrying a rotary switch 129 which is operated by rotation of a shaft 139. Positioned through shaft 130 is a contact wire 131 having a depending portion and an upper terminal portion which extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of shaft 13%, and journaled about the shaft 130 are a plurality of feeler arms 132 provided, in each instance, with a yarn guide eye 134 which is operatively positioned generally above a guide rod member 136. Guide rod member 136 serves the function of providing a support for the yarn ends 12 and 14 closely adjacent the point where they are passed through guide eyes 134 and also serves as a stop to limit the degree to which feeler arms 132 can pivot when they are unsupported by a tensioned end of yarn.

The switch 129 is a component part ofthe supply circuit for supplying energy to solenoid 114 and in normal operation yarn ends inserted through guideeyes 134 retain the feeler arms 132 out of contact with wire 131 so that the switch 129 remains open and no electrical energy is supplied to the solenoid 114. If. however, a yarn end breaks, the feeler arm supported thereby drops so that it contacts the upper terminal portion of wire member 131 to rotate shaft 130, which closes switch 129 and thereby activates the solenoid 114 to stop the apparatus.

Pivotally secured to and depending from support bracket 128 is an arm member 138 having a protruding contact member 140, which engages the depending portion of wire 131 when the arm is pivoted upwardly to thereby rotate shaft and close switch 129. A ratchet roll 142 is carried by the unsupported end of arm 138 and is designed such that the yarn passing through guide eyes 134 can be wrapped one or more turns thereabout in their passage from the guide eyes to the take-up means 20. The ratchet roll 142 is so constructed that it is freely rotatable by the yarns wrapped thereabout when they are traveling in a proper direction to the take-up means 20 but is not rotatable in the opposite direction, and in the event that the yarn ends 12 and 14 break in the vicinity of the take-up means 20 and become improperly wrapped about the rolls of the yarn advancing means 60, reverse motion of the yarns in the vicinity of the stop motion device results in the arm 138 being lifted to close switch 129 and thereby stop the apparatus. It will be seen, therefore, that the improved stop-motion means results in prompt stopping of the apparatus upon breakage of the yarns at a point in the yarn path subsequent to the stopmotion means or upon yarn breakage or depletion at a point in the yarn path preceding the stop-motion means.

laying thus described my invention and one specific embodiment thereof, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for processing a running length of yar comprising, in combination, means for operatively transporting an end of yarn, disengaging means to render said transporting means inoperative, an electrical yarn heater to heat a segment of said running length of yarn, and means operatively connected to and actuated in response to the actuation of said disengaging means to compensatively decrease to a lower level the electrical energy supplied to said heater when said transporting means is inoperative.

2. Apparatus for processing a running length of yarn comprising, in combination, an electrical yarn heater, at least one yarn advancing means, driving means for said yarn disengaging advancing means, disengaging means to disengage said yarn advancing means from said driving means, an electrical circuit for supplying energy to said heater, said circuit including a first component embodying a switch, and a second component connected in parallel to said first compoennt and having a higher electrical impedance, when said switch is closed, than said first component, and means operatively connected to and actuated in response to the actuation of said disengaging means to open said switch when said driving means is disengaged from said advancing means to close said switch when driving means is engaged with said advancing means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said higher electrical impedance is provided at least in part by a variable resistor.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said yarn heater is a roll heater and is positively driven through said disengaging means by said driving means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said circuit embodies a second variable resistor connected in series with said first and second components of said circuits.

6. Apparatus for processing a running length of yarn comprising, in combination, means for operatively transporting an end of yarn, a solenoid activated disengaging means to render said transporting means inoperative, said disengaging means including a rotary cam member, a stop motion means, a supply circuit for supplying electrical energy to said solenoid upon operation of said stop motion means, and means responsive to rotation of said cam member to terminate the flow of electrical energy to said solenoid when said transporting means is rendered inoperative.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 including an electrical yarn heater to heat a segment of said running length of yarn and a second means responsive to rotation of said cam member to decrease the electrical energy supplied to said heater when said transporting means is inoperative.

8. Apparatus for processing a running length of yarn comprising, in combination, a rotary electrical yarn heater, at least one yarn advancing means for positively advancing an end of yarn, driving means for said yarn advancing means and said heater, means to simultaneously disengage said yarn advancing means and said yarn heater from said driving means, sensing means for determining the absence of a yarn in one segment of said yarn path, electromagnetic means connected to said sensing means to eiiect operation of said disengaging means when said sensing means determines the absence of a yarn end, an electrical circuit for supplying energy to said heater, said circuit including a first component embodying a switch and a second component connected in parallel'to said first component and embodying a variable resistor, said second component having a higher electrical impedance, when said switch is closed, than said first component, and means operatively connected to and actuated in re sponse to the actuation of said disengaging means for effecting the opening of said switch when said heater means and said advancing means are disengaged from said driving means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said disengaging means comprises a clutch and a rotatable shaft to effect operation of said clutch, and including a cam carried by said shaft, said switch being operated by a cam surface on said cam, upon rotation of said shaft.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 including a second switch operated by said cam to de-energize said electromagnetic means upon disengagement of said clutch.

11. Yarn processing apparatus comprising, in combination, a support housing, a drive shaft journaled through said support housing, a drive gear carried by said drive shaft, a sleeve carried by said support housing and extending parallel to said drive shaft, a driven gear journaled about said sleeve and meshing with said drive gear, said 5 driven gear carrying on one side face thereof a disk type clutch member, a stub shaft extending through said sleeve in threadwise engagement therewith, a multiple gear journaled about said stub shaft, said multiple gear carrying a second disk type clutch member on one face thereof to mate with the clutch member on said driven gear, a plurality of yarn advancing means carried by said support housing, a heater roll carried by said support housing, a plurality of small gears for driving said heater roll and said yarn advancing means from said multiple gear, biasing means urging rotation of said stub shaft to disengage said clutch members, a rotary cam member carried by said stub shaft, a yarn sensing means to sense the absence of a yarn end being advanced by saidyarn advancing means, a solenoid operated by said sensing means, a dog member connected to said solenoid and cooperating with said cam member to normally prevent rotation of said stub shaft but to permit rotation of said stub shaft when said sensing means determines the absence of a yarn end, an electrical circuit for supplying energy to said yarn heater, a switch cooperating with said cam such that it is opened upon disengagement of said clutch and closed upon engagement of said clutch, said circuit having a first component embodying said switch and a second component embodying a variable electrical resistor connected in parallel to said first component, whereby when said clutch is disengaged the flow of electrical energy to said yarn heater is shunted through said electrical resistor.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 including a second switch operated by said cam member to disrupt the flow of electrical energy through said solenoid when said clutch members are disengaged.

13. Apparatus for processing a running length of yarn comprising, in combination, yarn advancing means for operatively transporting an end of yarn, driving means for said yarn advancing means, an electrical yarn heater to heat said running length of yarn in a segment of its path, a disengaging means to disengage said yarn advancing means from said driving means, a broken yarn end sensing means, a solenoid which, when electrical energy is supplied thereto, activates said disengaging means, electrical means for supplying electrical energy to said solenoid when said sensing means senses a broken yarn end, means responsive to said disengaging means to terminate the flow of electrical energy to said solenoid when said yarn advancing means is disengaged from said driving means, an electrical circuit for supplying energy to said heater, said circuit including a first component embodying a switch, and a second component connected in parallel to said first component having a higher electrical impedance, when said switch is closed, than said first component, and means associated with said disengaging means to open said switch when said driving means is disengaged from said advancing means and to close said switch when drivingmeans is engaged with said advancing means.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said disengaging means comprises a rotary cam member which rotates, upon activation of said solenoid, to open the circuit of said electrical means supplying electrical energy to said solenoid and to open said switch.

- 15. Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said cam is mechanically connected to a clutch which opens when said cam is rotated, said clutch providing the connection between said driving means and said yarn advancing means.

16. Apparatus according to claim 14 comprising means urging the rotation of said cam, said cam being prevented from rotating by a mechanical connection with the core of said solenoid when no electrical energy is supplied to said solenoid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,722,910 Gravel July 30, 1929 1,972,392 O'Brien Sept. 4, 1934 2,617,007 Atkins Nov. 4, 1952 2,777,931 Bundegaard et al Jan. 15, 1957 

